I recently got asked what my coaching entails and what I actually do with clients. That’s always a difficult question to answer because every single client that I work with walks a different path and has a different experience with me. I customize my coaching based on what each individual client needs. So, a look inside 1:1 Coaching looks and feels different. Answering that direct question is never easy because it truthfully is a journey that a client goes on. It’s a feeling that’s difficult to explain. But, in a short explanation, I stated that we focus on overall health through tapping into intuition and reflection on every aspect of life. I work with clients to teach them how to nourish their bodies and empower their minds because they get to create the magic and energy in their lives. I was then asked what I would suggest to someone who is completely new to self-love and reflection.

Now, this is a question I can give a direct answer to. I suggest journaling to every single person that I talk to, client or not. I believe that journaling is the first step to really dig inside the mind and explore your deeper emotions. Journaling transcends past the surface of your emotions, allowing you to understand the scope of your innate desires. This gives you the ability to listen and honor your intuition and follow what you actually need in this life. You see, you have everything you need within you. You have the drive, the power, and the answer to every question you’ll ever ask. It’s so easy to shy away though because you’ve been so conditioned to listen to external voices. You need validation beyond yourself, which takes you outside your mind and body. Journaling brings you back to reality. It’s almost like having a conversation with yourself, free from the need to please and perfect for others.

I recommend journaling to everyone that’s looking to gain a deeper connection with themselves. Journaling can look and feel different for everyone. Sometimes it’s a long process with direct prompts to help uncover and evaluate specific situations. I give specific journaling prompts to clients based on what we are focusing on in coaching. Topics can range from childhood trauma, self-love, body insecurities, health, intuition, eating, control, relationships, decision-making, etc. You can journal about just about anything going on in your life and any emotion that you feel. When practicing journaling on a daily basis, I suggest following a general prompt to guide you, and then when emotions are high, focusing in on what going on to grasp your core desires and what’s going on internally.

The Benefits of Journaling

There are a plethora of reasons to journal. There has been significant research done to understand the benefits that journaling has not only to the mind and body but to relationships and connection to the outside world. We are often unaware of our subconscious mind and the things impacting our nervous system. Journaling gives you a chance to turn inward and dive into everything going on within. Some of the benefits of journaling include…

1. Reduced Stress & Improved Sleep
   Journaling gives you a chance to unravel everything going on in your mind, helping you navigate it rather than holding it in without clarity. This helps you reduce stress levels because you have a grasp of what’s going on in your life instead of feeling like you can’t handle everything piling up. When you journal at night, it gives you the chance to process everything from your day instead of your head spinning as you’re trying to sleep and relax. This will improve your quality of sleep.
2. Improved Mood & Health
   When stress is reduced in the body, overall health improves significantly. Journaling has been shown to lower blood pressure, anxiety, and depression. This, in turn, improves overall gratitude, resilience, and joy in life.
3. Better Communication Skills
   It’s incredibly difficult to communicate with others when you’re unaware of what you’re really thinking and feeling. Journaling gives you the opportunity to communicate with yourself first, so you can then turn to others with a clear mind and an idea of what you want to express. Giving yourself the opportunity for clear pathways in the body will help you go into conversation with confidence.
4. Deepend Self-Discovery
   As a society, we have gone so long allowing others to dictate what we like and who we are. It’s washed out our intuition because we are so scared to trust that we have the answers and know what we need. Journaling gives you a chance to be with yourself. It allows you the time to discover what you want and needs to feel nourished and satisfied. Then, you can make more intuitive decisions that fill up your cup before filling up others.
5. Higher Energy Levels
   Going into each day with a clear mind improves your energy levels. So often, we are unaware of how our subconscious mind is impacting how we feel. When we allow emotions and thoughts to build up, we can feel lethargic and depleted. Journaling gives you the chance to evaluate the hard things going on within, allowing for higher energy levels and self-compassion.

General Journaling Ideas

Though you can (and should) get really specific in your journaling, especially during times of healing and deep reflection, it’s so important to have a general idea of what and how to journal. Journaling is most effective as a daily practice. Many professionals in the self-love and self-reflection industry suggest journaling every morning and night. Though there are many benefits to this, I believe in making all things accessible and attainable. I know for me, journaling every single morning wouldn’t work as some days I’m up by 4:30 am to teach fitness classes. There’s no way I’m waking up even earlier to journal before leaving and once my day starts, it’s head first in client work, calls, classes, and administrative tasks. If we are going to make healthy living a long-term practice, we need to set realistic expectations for ourselves to commit to these habits for the long haul. For me, that means journaling every night and setting my intentions for the next day, the night before.

Whatever your schedule looks like, journaling can be something that can happen throughout the day or at a set time every day. It’s best to set a consistent time (or times) to journal. Building habits is easier when it’s consistent in time and place. This will condition your mind and body to recognize the cues to begin. So, first, figure out when journaling would be most accessible for you. It can be an hour-long experience with breathwork, meditation, writing, etc. Or, it can be a 5-minute exercise to brain dump and evaluate your subconscious mind. Journaling shouldn’t feel like a chore so set yourself up for success in the expectations you create.

I also strongly recommend getting a journal that calls to you. Maybe it’s your favorite color, a cute design, or something that you create. Having something that feels like home will make you want to use it. After all, it’s a book about your life. It should reflect who you are. When writing, don’t focus so much on grammar, spelling, or structure. Just free write. This is a time for you not to worry about the expectations of anyone or anything. This is YOUR place to feel free in your mind. Below are the general prompts I have clients focus on when they begin journaling before getting into the nitty gritty. These are also the prompts I use every day in my own journaling practice. When I do deep dives, I commit my evening journaling to the below prompts and then do specific journaling at other times of the day. This allows me to stay in my routine and to unpack every single day so sleep well and start fresh the next day.

Reflection

First, start with a general reflection. This is just a brain dump of what’s on your mind, what happened in your day, how you’re feeling, and what you need. Generally, start with a basic dump list to clear the mind and then get more specific about your emotions and what you need in life. This is a great place to manifest what you desire by asking for what you need. It may sound silly but putting your needs into writing makes your subconscious mind want that thing more. You will then naturally work harder for it and/or be open to receiving whatever that thing is. Reflecting on your day is a great way to let everything go and to better understand where your mind really is.

Highs & Lows

Then, unpack your day by evaluating your highs and lows. This can be two simple lists. Your highs are the best parts of your day. This will help you practice gratitude and find the good in each day. Even your hardest days have something good in them if you’re willing to reflect and find it. Your lows are the hardest parts of your day. We often go through life experiencing hard things but rarely give ourselves time to reflect on it. We let it sit and manifest into bad energy. Reflecting and writing our your lows will give you a chance to sit with your emotions which will help you nurture a strong emotional connection with yourself and find growth in the tough parts of life. Writing out your highs and lows gives you an opportunity to practice grace and gratitude for your mind, body, and life.

Gratitude

Then, based on everything you wrote between your reflection and highs/lows, write a statement of gratitude. Try to make this statement relatively specific. Practicing gratitude will improve your mindset in everyday life. The more you practice gratitude in writing, the more naturally you’ll find gratitude throughout your day, even during hard moments. Gratitude is the foundation for joy, confidence, and self-love. Using it in your journaling practice will help you feel grounded and connected.

Intention Setting for the Next Day

Lasting, set your intention for the following day. Now, if you’re committing to journaling every morning and every evening, then you can do this as your morning practice by writing out what you hope for the day ahead and what energy you’re inviting in. But, if you’re committing to just journaling in the evening, setting your intention for the next day will allow you to go to sleep with a clear mind and good energy for the following day. This can be a simple phrase of what you hope for. It doesn’t have to be anything long or crazy, just a simple statement inviting in good energy and a calm mind. You can make this more specific based on what you have planned for the following day.

Reset & Refresh

Journaling is a way to get into your subconscious mind and understand your deeper needs, desires, and emotions. You need time to decompress and reset. Journaling seems scary to some. I hear from clients all of the time that they are scared to sit with their emotions but in fact, not journaling means you’re sitting with your emotions but not actually uncovering them. You’re still sitting with them though, they are just building into something negative in your body, manifesting stress and overwhelm. Each journaling experience doesn’t need to be a long, drawn-out ordeal. It doesn’t need to be incredibly deep every time, just enough to have a grasp on everything going on in your life. If you need help getting started with journaling, I have created Journal Worksheets designed to help you kickstart your gratitude and discover the basics of journaling to fit into your life. Click Here to get yours! I deep dive into journaling with all of my clients and would love to help you begin your self-reflection journey with journaling, health, and intuitive living! Click Here to learn more about 1:1 Coaching!